The present invention relates to conveyor systems, and more particularly, is directed to improvements related to the crawler chain of a self-propelled articulated conveyor system.
In mining operations, especially in the underground mining of coal and the like, a variety of conveyors are used to transport the mined materials from the mining machine to their ultimate transportation location. During the early stages of mine development, main haulageways are created within the mine to accommodate stationary main belt conveyors that ultimately transport the mined ore from the mine or to remote collection areas. A variety of different conveying systems and apparatuses have been developed for transferring the mined material from the mining machine to the main belt conveyors.
In the past, shuttle cars or other short distance haulage vehicles have been used to transport the mined material from the mining machine to the fixed terminal end of the main conveyor. The use of shuttle cars and other such haulage vehicles is intermittent, time consuming, and inefficient in not providing for the continuous transport of the mined materials from the mining machine to the fixed conveyor. Thus, in more recent years there have been several developments directed toward a mobile articulated conveyor that provides for continuous transport of the discharge of a continuous miner to the main conveyor as the miner advances into the mine face and changes the direction of its forward movement.
One of these more recently developed mobile articulated conveyors is shown in the Bodimer patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,865,185, and sold by a company related to the assignee of this invention. More specifically, this invention is an improvement to the crawler-mounted conveying train shown in the Bodimer patent, which is incorporated herein by reference.
A number of different auxiliary conveying apparatuses exist for transferring the mined material from the discharge of the mobile articulated conveyor to a stationary panel conveyor or main conveyor. For example, in one conveyor arrangement, the discharge end of the mobile conveyor is arranged to tram beside the stationary main or panel conveyor and a third xe2x80x9cbridgexe2x80x9d conveyor is employed to transfer the mined ore from the mobile conveyor to the stationary conveyor.
An object of the present invention is to provide a conveyor with an improved traction drive system for moving the mobile articulated conveying system along the mine floor either straight or along curvilinear paths while substantially eliminating any binding or other deleterious forces normally associated with or resulting from moving a rigid member through. horizontal or vertical curved paths.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a conveyor system having a flexible track drive system capable of bending around horizontally and/or vertical curves while delineating a fixed elongated path within a mine.
The present invention provides a material conveying system capable of traversing a floor along a curvilinear path, the system comprising a plurality of framework members arranged in tandem on the surface along a portion of the path to form an elongated longitudinally extending conveyor train; and connector means on each framework member cooperate with connector means on each adjacent framework member for coupling the plurality of framework members, the connector means permitting movement between adjacent framework members. The conveying system also includes a plurality of the framework members including a crawler chain assembly comprising a plurality of crawler chain pads interconnected by chain links to form an endless loop. The crawler chain assembly extends continuously throughout the plurality of framework members along the longitudinal extent of the train, over a lower portion of each of the plurality of framework members wherein the crawler chain pads are maintained in engagement with the floor, and over an upper portion having an upper surface that supports the chain pads. The adjacent framework members include cooperating means for limiting the articulation between adjacent framework members in the horizontal, vertical and longitudinal directions, such cooperating means comprising outboard side tubes having a trapping on one end, the trapping being received in the hollow other end of the side tube of the next adjacent frame member. The framework members also include means for supporting an orbitally moveable endless conveyor belt above the crawler chain assembly, the conveying run of the orbitally moveable conveyor belt operable to convey material substantially throughout the longitudinal extent of the train.
In a preferred embodiment, the lower portion includes two spaced apart plates, each plate having an irregular forward edge and an irregular rearward edge so that at least part of the irregular forward edge of one framework member mates with at least part of the irregular rearward edge of an adjacent framework member to form a surface at least partially supporting the crawler chain pads as each traverses between adjacent framework members. The upper portion also has an upper surface that supports the chain pads, the upper portion including two spaced apart plates, each plate having an irregular forward edge and an irregular rearward edge so that at least part of the irregular forward edge of one framework member mates with at least part of the irregular rearward edge of an adjacent framework member to form a surface at least partially supporting the crawler chain pads as each traverses between adjacent framework members.
In a preferred embodiment, each of crawler chain pads is connected to a part of the chain links by a guide retainer assembly, the guide retainer assembly including a guide retainer having a width that is greater than larger of the spacing between the plates forming the upper and the lower portions of the framework member, and means for securing the guide retainer to a respective crawler chain pad between the upper and lower portion spaced apart plates so that the guide retainer is on the inside of the upper and lower portion spaced apart plates and the crawler chain pad is on the outside of the upper and lower portion spaced apart plates.